Etchings

I’m learning that the difference between reading God’s Word and memorizing it is the difference between writing with a marker on a whiteboard or etching the message into it.

I decided to memorize the book of Titus this summer. I just finished writing a series of devotional essays on the book and, besides, it’s short. Where else could I go to say I’ve memorized a whole book of the Bible?

Yeah, Philemon, but you get the idea.

I had studied Titus pretty well, I thought, in writing the essays but as I memorize the first chapter of Titus, I’m discovering points I had completely missed before.

I wrote God’s word in marker before, reading it repeatedly and studying it. But now, as I sluggishly etch His word, concepts are becoming clearer.

Memorizing is a muscle that needs to be strengthened. Titus 1:1 took over 3 hours to get locked in (and I’m not sure it is eternally locked in yet) but Titus 1:12 took less than an hour and 1:14 was done in about 20 minutes. The muscle is getting a little stronger. (And, no, I didn’t spend 3 hours all at one time. This was over three weeks of review.)

I know, you don’t have time to memorizee. Me, neither. But what a privilege it is to uncover another layer of God’s meaning. Give it a try. And hold me accountable!